THE RELATIONSHIP OF FEMALE LABOR-FORCE PARTICIPATION TO SUICIDE - A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS

Work on the relationship between female labor force participation and suicide has been limited largely to the U.S. The present study tests t his perspective with data from 53 nations representing a wide range in lever of socio-economic development. Female labor force participation (FPLF), an index of role conflict, is found to be positively related to both male and female suicide. However, when the sample is restricte d to nations at high levels of FPLE FPLF is related only to male suici de. This failure of FPLF to increase female suicide is interpreted in terms of role expansion theory and the context of greater cultural sup port for FPLF. The results are independent of indicators from industri alization and anomie theories of suicide.